


Little Town

by Lordoflesamis



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: In fact nothing is as it seems, Like Gleaner Heights but its Critical Role, Multi, Mystery, No discernible time period, hey here's the weird AU nobody asked for, i don't know what this is i'm sorry, not everything is as it seems
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-09-09
Packaged: 2019-10-15 17:24:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17533037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lordoflesamis/pseuds/Lordoflesamis
Summary: Keyleth takes over an abandoned farm in the picturesque sleepy town of Whitestone, intending to bring it back to its past glory- and uncover answers to a question she has been trying to answer for years. The citizens of the town are kind and friendly- but a little odd, though not as strange as their warnings not to go out at night....





	1. March- Week One

**Author's Note:**

> Hey so i just had this idea when i was playing Gleanor Heights (which is like Stardew Valley but dark) that Critical Role characters could work perfectly for an idea I had for a story- please enjoy!

There was a small gathering of people waiting for her when she arrived, despite the rain which had haunted her entire journey. Three women and a man stood at the gates of the homestead which was to become hers for the foreseeable future, shielded from the worst of the weather by two large black umbrellas, their faces partially hidden by the material as Keyleth dismounted Caeli, her boots sinking slightly in the wet soil.

“Good Morning to you stranger!” Said the man, bowing his head slightly. His hands were currently occupied with holding the umbrella above himself and the woman to his left, so Keyleth took her outstretched hand before his.

The woman’s glove was silk, soft, elegant- matching the smile Keyleth’s eyes landed on as they shook hands. “Keyleth, we presume?” she said, a strange lilt to her voice that was at once confident and questioning.

“Um-yes,” came Keyleth’s response, and she self-consciously tucked a strand of wet hair behind her ear as she shook the man’s hand, then the second and third women respectively. 

“Hello Keyleth,” the third woman said, polite, as she took her hand, “My name is Allura, I am the mayor of Whitestone. It is so wonderful to have you here.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Keyleth said, bowing her head.

“This is Pike Trickfoot,” Allura said, gesturing to the beaming shorter woman to her right, “The village Priest.”

“Keyleth,” Keyleth said, a little overwhelmed.

“And Vax’ildan and Vex’ahlia, your neighbours to the South.” Allura said, at once gesturing to the man and woman beside her, and to a small house Keyleth could just about make out through the treeline on the South side of her fence. 

“It’s lovely to meet you all, won’t you come inside?” she said, shivering from the water, “It’s a little cold.” 

“You’re soaked through,” said Vax’ildan. 

Keyleth opened the door for them, then took Caeli to the new stables, which were bare and empty from the last inhabitants- some old straw sat in the corner. A few crates of storage left behind were scattered around. She put Caeli in the freshest looking box, making a note to bring her fresh hay and water later, and patted her head before returning to the farm house, which was nearer the entrance than the stables. 

The front room of the farm house was small, and quaint, but her guests had settled themselves in there, dry and safe from the rain outside. Standing in the doorway, Keyleth was finally able to see their features.

Vax’ildan and Vex’ahlia were both tall, lithe, pale people, with long dark hair. Vax’ildan wore his past his shoulders, Vex’ahlia’s was tied up into an elaborate braided updo. He wore a white shirt, black trousers and smart shoes, as well as a ring on his right index finger with what appeared to be a silvered minature bird skull. His sister (their similarities suggested they were not man and wife) wore a high-collared white blouse, a long black skirt and high heeled black boots, with matching silk gloves she had since taken off entering Keyleth’s homestead.

The mayor, Allura, was blonde, her hair drawn back into a professional bun. She wore a blue dress hitched just below her knees, and black shoes, which she had taken off at the door, revealing skin-coloured tights. In the middle of these people, Pike Trickfoot seemed especially small, though her figure was not exactly slight; under her white summer dress and blue wellington boots was a toned, muscular body. Her hair, as white as her dress, was tied up into two buns, one on each side of her head, and her smile shone the brightest out of Keyleth’s guests.

“Welcome to Whitestone,” Pike said, “You look absolutely shattered! Was the ride long?”

“It uh-“ Keyleth sank into the arm chair left by her guests, “It was a while, yes.” She winced as the wet fabric of her pinafore dress soaked into her legs. 

“We won’t overstay,” Vex’ahlia said, voice as rich as honey, “We just wanted to welcome you to the neighbourhood!”

“You should come by sometime,” Vax’ildan said, his words much more open than his expression.

The mayor smiled warmly, “Now, Keyleth I expect to see you in the town hall tomorrow afternoon. Town meeting and all that. It’ll be good for you to meet everyone, as well.”

“Oh, I was thinking of doing that later tonight,” Keyleth said, then, glancing down at herself, “After bathing and dinner, of course.” 

Her guests shared concerned looks. “Not that you would leave the farm at night, of course.” Allura said, hope evident in her voice.

Keyleth was confused, “Well, sure why not?”

Allura paled. Vex’ahlia looked away, her brother frowning. Pike sighed, “It’s not safe to be outside the main town at night, Keyleth.”

“Why not?”

Allura elbowed Pike before she could respond, “There are wild animals out there, dear. Stay inside your borders at night. And if you can’t get back by the time the sun sets, stay at the Darrington Hotel.” 

Keyleth frowned. She supposed that made sense, but she’d done a lot of research on this place before moving from the city, and felt that she was prepared to deal with most wild animals. “Alright, is there time to go into town for groceries before sun-down?”

“Town’s about six miles out.” Vax’ildan said, “With that horse you’ll be fine if you leave soon.” 

“Alright- I would offer you folks tea but I haven’t bought any yet….” Keyleth said, standing and going to the kitchen despite knowing it would serve no purpose.

“No, no it’s fine.” Allura said, “We ought to leave you to it anyway. We just wanted to see what you looked like.”

“I…. oh. Okay.” She said, feeling a little ridiculous in front of the four ridiculously attractive people in front of her, wearing her old trainers and flowery, soaked through pinafore. 

“Good day, lovely to meet you,” Vex’ahlia’s hand was warm in hers for a few moments before they left, heading down the road into town. 

Keyleth frowned, the words “Not that you would leave the farm at night, of course” echoing in her head as she sought out the cases she had ordered to be delivered into the empty chicken coup by the house. 

“I’ll buy some chickens too,” she said aloud to herself, used to being alone over the last few days of travel, “In the next town. And maybe some cows or goats to make cheese.” She turned the corner into the large chicken coup, door just big enough for her to duck inside when unlocked, and found it full to the brim with all her things. 

It took a good hour to tug each large case inside the farmhouse, and another half an hour to find her purse. By the time she was done the sun was low on the horizon- she figured she had about an hour left before the sun went down. But Caeli was fast- and she was sure she could outrun any animal that thought they might be good snacks. 

So she tied her hair up, mounted the horse, and began to trot towards town. 

The Road was fairly straight, though a forest grew thicker and thicker towards town, the dim amber light of the setting sun becoming much less evident as they made their way through the forest. A wooden sign said WHITESTONE- 5 MILES ahead, which soothed some of her worries that she’d gotten lost. 

After a little while the first few buildings came into view; typical red-brick buildings, probably mid-to-poor-quality compared to the others she’d seen in towns like this, including a large, two-storey tall building with stained-glass windows she assumed was a Church. Keyleth had never been one for religion, but given the strange atmosphere that the rest of this place had, its presence was somewhat comforting. 

The sun was setting over the rooftops as Caeli trotted into the town, rounding the corner past what Keyleth assumed was the Doctor’s surgery, given the wooden sign with a cross swinging in the light breeze of the evening, to see the Town Square. A tall tree with an unusually golden hue, given the season, was set dead centre in front of a large ornate building signposted WHITESTONE TOWN HALL. On the grass two children played with a small dog that yapped almost constantly. 

As she continued along the road at a slower pace she inhaled, allowing the perfume of the flowers that bordered the grass of the square to calm her, until she saw a chalk sign that read GILMORE’S GLORIOUS GROCERIES. 

“Perfect,” she muttered, tying Caeli up outside the shop, and heading inside.

A bell rang as she entered into the cool of the grocery shop, and a man who had been ducked under the counter leapt to his feat with a flourish.

“Why hello,” he said, interest flickering across his handsome, slightly older, face, “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Gilmore, owner of this fine store.” He walked around the counter to meet her, taking her hand in both of his and shaking it earnestly. He wore a purple shirt and lighter purple silk trousers; a foreign fashion Keyleth hadn’t seen in a small town such as Whitestone, and his hair was longer than hers in a loose ponytail behind him. His goatee was kept neat to his face, and his eyes were almost as purple as his clothes. Keyleth, once again, felt like the least attractive person in the room.

“I’m Keyleth,” she said, “I own Ashari farms up North.”

“Ashari farms!” Gilmore said, putting his hands on his hips, “How wonderful. About time, if you ask me.”

Keyleth smiled, unsure what to say. Gilmore paused, as if thinking then smiled, “And how can I help you, Keyleth of Ashari Farms?” 

“I just need basic groceries.” She replied, “I have farming supplies like seeds and things arriving through post at some point this week too, is this-“

“Also the post office?” Gilmore said, heading to the counter once more, “Yes, I’ll get someone to take them to you tomorrow morning. I had no idea you had arrived or I would’ve sent them earlier.” 

“It’s not that late,” Keyleth said, heading to the nearest shelves, which were stocked with cans of food, “But I hear people don’t like being out late around here.”

Gilmore paused, and for a few moments Keyleth thought he hadn’t heard her, “It’s a small town, my dear. Small minds, you know? But while you’re in town you should check out the hotel. It’s wonderful, and they have stables for your horse friend out there.” 

Keyleth chewed on the inside of her cheek, “My home is just six miles away, though.”

There was no response from the vendor, as she moved to the next shelf. Keyleth assumed he hadn’t heard her. 

She bought sugar, tea, bread, butter- some jams that were locally grown, having not had time to make her own yet, a chicken and some spices, just enough to keep her going for a week or so and not to weigh down the horse, and paid Gilmore, after trying on some sunglasses and making him laugh, low and velvety. “You’re cute,” he said with a wink, “10% off.” 

Keyleth blushed, flustered, “Oh no you don’t have to do that!” 

“I insist.” Gilmore said, folding her fingers over the too-much-change he’d put in her hand, “Now run along home quickly, Keyleth.” 

“I…. I will.” She said, stumbling over the words and the doorstep on her way out. 

Caeli was waiting patiently. The sun was a line of light on the horizon. “I guess we’d better get home” Keyleth said, and mounted the horse. 

////

When she awoke, it was time to get started. The farm goods arrived, delivered with a note that read “For Keyleth of Ashari Farms x” and she spent the better part of the day tending to the fields. Once everything was planted, she decided to head into town to find out more about it, and get directions to the nearest market town in which to buy livestock. Oh, and of course, the town meeting. Plus she decided she ought to get to know the denizens of this town- even if they were strange. 

The town hall was busy as Keyleth tied Caeli to one of the posts outside. Three automobiles were parked on the road beside it, and there were many people heading in, distant chatter filling the town. “Keyleth,” Gilmore greeted out of nowhere, sliding his arm into hers, “Good to see you, come sit with me.”

“Oh… alright,” she said, a little perturbed by his over-familiarity, but glad to have made a good impression on someone, for once. 

The town hall’s interior was high and echoey. A stage at the opposite end with a podium was occupied only by the mayor herself, sitting on the front edge of the stage and smiling as the townspeople made their way onto the chairs set up facing it. Keyleth saw Pike sitting at the front with an elderly gentleman and a large man, neither of whom she recognised. 

Vax’ildan and Vex’ahlia were currently talking to a shortish woman with long blonde hair and a scar across her face, who was laughing at whatever Vex’ahlia was saying. Vax’ildan noticed their entry and tipped his hat at them, before returning to his conversation. 

Already seated, talking amongst themselves were a number of unknown individuals including a tall, slightly serious looking gentleman with spectacles perched at the end of his nose and his face buried in an old tome of sorts sitting by himself. A little ways away, a tall curvaceous woman in a long coat and boots, arm slung over the back of the man’s seat beside her- a tallish man with brown hair and a scowl as he surveyed the room. There was also a great deal of families, and while people were talking amongst themselves they were also giving her curious glances as Gilmore led her to the front row, beside Pike and her companions. 

“Gilmore!” Pike greeted, “And Keyleth, how good to see you! This is my great-grandfather Wilhand and my brother, Grog!”

Grog shook her hand, a grunt in greeting, and Keyleth smiled in response. He didn’t look much like Pike; he was big and broad. He had darker skin and no hair on his head but a thick, well maintained beard on his face. He looked adjusted to a life of manual labour, or perhaps fighting of some kind. The elderly man, however, looked like a scrunched-up male Pike, with the same colouration and kind eyes as he too made her acquaintance with a handshake. Keyleth stammered a greeting in return. 

Mayor Allura cleared her throat and walked up to the podium, smiling amicably and waving at the stragglers that made their way into the hall; “Hello good people of Whitestone! To our busy residents, I promise I won’t take up too much of your time. To our newest resident,” she turned to gesture to Keyleth in a sweeping motion, “Keyleth of Ashari Farms, welcome.”

There was scattered applause, people craning their necks to look at her. Keyleth felt a blush rise to her cheeks, turning to face the crowd with a little bow before turning quickly to face Allura. 

“We have these meetings monthly,” the mayor continued, “To discuss the goings-on of our little town. Today’s will be short and sweet. There is an afterparty of sorts for Keyleth, there’ll be tea and cakes and that sort of thing if you should wish to stay. Now, our good friends from Emon will be helping us in the Spring Festival at the end of the month….”

As the mayor spoke, Keyleth felt her mind wander a little to the fleeting conversations she’d had with the citizens of Whitestone thus far, and wondered if there was more to this town than what she’d seen so far. She turned around in her seat, scanning the crowd as subtly as she could. She made direct eye contact, suddenly, with a man who stood at the back. He was quite handsome, a little older than her, shortish, and was wearing a hideous bright purple shirt. He winked, and she glanced about for someone else to look at. 

In the back row, apparently having snuck in while the mayor was talking, a woman sat with a hood over her face- only her lips, which were tight and tense, showing of her facial features. Keyleth turned to ask Gilmore who she was, but before the words were out of her mouth she was gone. “Weird,” she muttered, before turning back to face the front.

////

A few nights later, Keyleth found her mind wandering, as it inevitably would have done, to her mother. The black and white photograph she had refused to take out of her suitcase until now was calling her, and she lurched out of bed and lit a candle. Breath coming out in short, sharp bursts, she went to the suitcase which was still at the foot of her bed and withdrew the picture. 

VILYA, ASHARI FARMS. WHITESTONE. 

Said the writing underneath the photograph of her mother. “Oh mum,” she said into the silence of the bedroom her mother had once slept in, “What on earth happened to you here?”


	2. March Continued

It rained for the rest of her first week in Whitestone, and she busied herself with the farm work, planting lettuce and tomatoes and the like ready to be harvested later. By herself, it took longer than it would have with farm hands, but she had very little money to begin with, let alone to hire staff. And besides, she liked her own company. She could think and sing out loud this way without worrying about sounding awkward or her voice not reaching the proper notes. 

On the Monday after she arrived, she woke up early to an unseasonably hot day, and decided that she’d walk back into town, see whether she could procure a map to the next town to buy some livestock. She bathed quickly, tying her hair up into a messy ponytail and putting on one of her favourite outfits; a white, loose flowing top and a long orange skirt, as well as her trainers and sunglasses, and went outside. 

Ashari farms was quiet and pretty this time in the morning. As she made her way to the road leading into Whitestone she admired her handiwork and the satisfying sight of rows of rows of crops stretching as far as the eye could see. 

Her footsteps made a satisfying crunch in the loose gravel and dirt road. 

She hadn’t been walking for too long when she came across a fork in the road, to the left of which was the sign she’d seen before for Whitestone, and to the left was a small sign that said V&V’S, 1 MILE. 

“V and V?” she said, softly, then smiled as she remembered the strange twins that had greeted her the first day. “Maybe I’ll pay them a visit,” she thought, “Though it’d be rude not to bring them something.”

She had made a good batch of banana bread a few days ago, perhaps she could bring that to them, she thought as she turned on her heel and went back towards her homestead, the curve of the trees ahead of her concealing the figure standing by her gate until she was almost ten feet or so away. 

“Vax’ildan?” she asked, not hiding her surprise. 

Standing almost as if in deep thought, facing up towards her home, was Vax’ildan himself, dressed in fine black trousers, a white shirt rolled to the sleeves and a pair of dark sunglasses. His pale skin somehow seemed paler in the sunlight, and Keyleth felt a stab of fear in her spine as she wondered how they had walked past one another. Had he been there earlier somehow, and she hadn’t noticed? How long had he been standing there?

“Ah, Keyleth.” The man said, bowing low, his hair falling low where it was half-tied behind his head, a black feather tucked into the twist of the hair, “Good morning. I was wondering if I might escort you on a walk.”

Keyleth blinked, “I was just about to… How did you get here?”

Vax’ildan smiled, as if she had just made a mildly funny joke, “I walked. It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?”

“Yes…” Keyleth said, her legs refusing to carry her away or towards him, “I was going to visit you and your sister this morning, only I forgot the gift I was going to bring-“

“There’s no need for that. My sister is out and I am here.” Vax’ildan smiled, offering his arm. Keyleth wished she could see his eyes as she considered, flicking her gaze between him and the road she had walked up. 

“Did you walk through the woods?” she asked, and he frowned.

“Do you not want to walk with me?”

“I- Sure.” 

She took his arm- his skin was sun-warmed and soft under her fingers- and they began to walk back in the direction of Whitestone, a pleased and slightly surprised expression on Vax’ildan’s face. 

“So.” Keyleth said, trying to break the tension as they walked in silence, footsteps in sync, “What uh- how’ve you been?”

“Well,” Vax’ildan said thoughtfully, as if picking his words, “Very well thank you. How about yourself?”

“Good, I’ve been setting up my farm.”

“Yes I saw.”

“Oh. Cool.” Keyleth felt her face burn, suddenly, though she couldn’t understand why. 

“Keyleth,” Vax’ildan said, suddenly voice open, “I hope I’m not being too forward.” He stepped a pace away from her, his expression unreadable but his lips straining to smile, “But I need your help.”

“Help? My help? Sure what uh-“ Keyleth swallowed, her mouth dry, “What can I do for you?”

Vax’ildan wrung his hands together, fiddling with the strange ring, “I’m afraid my sister might be in danger.”

“In danger?” A shiver ran down Keyleth’s spine. She pretended it was the wind.

“I can’t explain it but i’m sure of it. She’s always out running errands that we don’t need running. She seems distant and I’m sure she’s hiding something from me.” He turned to Keyleth, “But! She’s always saying about how she needs more female friends so you,” he took her hands, ignoring the way she flinched at the contact, “You could be that friend. You could find out what’s wrong.”

“But I barely know her!” Keyleth spluttered, “You’re her brother, she’d tell you before me!”

“You’re right, you don’t know her.” Vax’ildan said, his voice suddenly cold, “Nobody but me does- not really. But she doesn’t seem to want to tell me. Just try, just promise me you’ll try.”

“I…” Keyleth was so confused, “I’ll do what I can.”

“Thank you. Oh and say hello to Shaun for me when you buy that map from him.” His tone returned to normal, and he took her arm in his again. Too confused and flustered to do anything else, Keyleth flushed when he stooped to kiss her hand at the edge of Whitestone, before he turned and made his way back up the road to their farms. 

“I… what?” she asked, to nobody in particular, wondering how on earth he could have known she was after a map.

////

Gilmore seemed tired when Keyleth arrived, brushing a few stray leaves out of her hair from the walk into town. 

“Good Morning!” he greeted, arm stretching out flamboyantly, as if to hide his exhaustion.

“Morning Gilmore.” She smiled, “Rough Night?”

“Ah” He joked, “You should see the other guy.”

Keyleth forced a small laugh out, still unnerved from the morning’s events. She wandered through the aisles of the store, pretending to browse for a few minutes as she caught her breath and tried to calm down. Maybe she’d been talking out loud without realising, and Vax had heard her mention a map. That had to be it, there’s no other explanation. “Do you have a map I could borrow? I’m heading to Emon in the morning.”

“Of course,” Gilmore’s voice called from the other side of the store, and she heard him opening a drawer. She spent a moment or two browsing, eyeing the local honeys and jams he stocked among exotic sauces and spice mixes.

“Oh, Vax’ildan says Hi, by the way.” She said as she turned the corner back to Gilmore’s desk. 

Gilmore looked as if she’d knocked over a shelf of particularly expensive spices, all of a sudden- his jaw slack, eyes wide. 

“What?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.” He smiled, snapping back into himself, “I just haven’t spoken to Vax’ildan in some time. I’d almost thought he’d forgotten me.” He paused, and for a second she thought she’d seen something slip behind his façade once more, “Send him my love next time you see him.” He said, softly, before disappearing behind the beaded curtain beyond his till.

“Take the map for free, my dear.” He called back to her, as she approached the desk, concerned. Keyleth blinked, unsure whether to stay and make sure he was okay or not, before spotting the map on the counter-top. It looked like it was a few hours away to Emon on horseback, which suited her just fine.

“Thank you!” she said, rolling it up and carefully putting it into her bag, “I’ll bring it back.”

There was no response. Keyleth sighed, and stepped out once more into the rain.

///

Caeli seemed excited to travel somewhere further than the trip to and from Whitestone to their home, and Keyleth couldn’t blame her. In fact, she was excited for more than just the opportunity to feel wind in her hair and freedom in her lungs: there was a strangeness to Whitestone she couldn’t quite place, its inhabitants odd, albeit friendly enough. She hadn’t realised how uncomfortable she had been for the last few days until they left the borders of the town, heading due East, the sun still rising in front of her. 

The hills around Whitestone were vibrant and green, though the fog had begun to get thicker now, as she made her way up the dirt track past the sign for WHITESTONE CASTLE. So thick, in fact, that she hadn’t realised that she’d found the castle until a huge grey stone wall materialised in front of her, imposing and stoic in the strange greyness of the morning. “Looks like we’ll have to go around, Caeli.” She whispered to her horse, who had begun to shuffle her feet in discomfort. “It is drizzly around here isn’t it?” she said, the humour in her voice belying the sudden fear that ran up her spine as she cast her gaze to the rest of the castle, its spires now looming above them- 50, 60, 70, maybe 80 feet high.

She followed the path- which had turned to gravel in the vicinity of the castle, which Keyleth thought looked to be maybe half a millennium years old, if her history lessons had taught her anything- around the outskirts of the estate, wary of the outer walls of the keep. She was glad she was travelling here during the day, and made a note to stay in Emon, glad that she had brought her money with her.

Maybe someone in Emon could help her. Maybe there was information somewhere, in a vast dust-covered library, or in the mind of an expert in a field she had never heard of, that could help her take a step closer to solving even just one of the questions that plagued her day and night.

What had happened to her mother?

How did Vax’ildan know about the Map?

What was going on with Vex’ahlia? And in fact, the rest of the residents of Whitestone?

Who was that strange man in purple on her first day?

As the fog faded away, Keyleth passed a sign that read WHITESTONE, 15 MILES, a crudely painted arrow pointing in the direction she had just come from. She had half a mind never to follow it back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took so long to continue! Please let me know what you think, this fic is weird I know, but i'm hoping its still enjoyable :)

**Author's Note:**

> Comments, constructive criticism and questions are all greatly desired here! Thanks for reading!


End file.
